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AQHA Bylaw and Registration Changes

AQHA members and Board of Directors approved four bylaw changes and three registration-related items at the 2017 AQHA Convention.

March 23, 2017

The American Quarter Horse Association

Modifications to four AQHA Bylaws, as well as three registration-related items, were approved by AQHA members and the AQHA Board of Directors at the 2017 AQHA Convention.

Modifications to four AQHA Bylaws, as well as three registration-related items, were approved by AQHA members and the AQHA Board of Directors at the 2017 AQHA Convention, March 17-20 in San Antonio. Per the Association’s bylaws, the board of directors has the final authority when it comes to AQHA’s bylaws and rules of registration.

Bylaw Changes at ConventionThe first bylaw change involved a modification to Article IV Section 7, in which the word “shall” was changed to “may” as follows: “All vacancies in the elective and appointed offices of AQHA may be filled by the Executive Committee for the unexpired term and those so appointed shall serve until the election and acceptance of their duly qualified successors.”

The second bylaw change involved a modification to Article V Section 2, in which the term “chief executive officer” was changed to “chairperson” as follows: “The President shall be the chairperson of the AQHA Board of Directors and shall preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors ... ”

The third bylaw change addressed a modification to Article VI Section 2(a), in which the term “operating” is changed to “executive” as follows: “The Executive Vice President is the chief executive officer of AQHA, and, pursuant to direction of the Executive Committee, shall implement the actions, decisions and directions of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee ... ”

Finally, the fourth bylaw change involved modifications to Article IV Section 9. The underlined text is what was modified in this bylaw.

Section 9. (a) At the New Board Meeting of the annual convention, the Board of Directors shall elect an Executive Committee consisting of a President, First Vice President, Second Vice President and two additional members.

(b) Prior to such election, a committee chaired by the newest Past President and composed of Past Presidents registered with and attending the annual convention shall present a slate of nominations for the Executive Committee positions described above to the Board of Directors for its consideration and vote.

(c) After such slate has been presented to the Board of Directors, the President will open the meeting for additional nominations, if any, from the floor. Nominations received from the floor will be received only in opposition to a particular individual, and not in opposition to the total slate.

(d) In order for a candidate not currently on the Executive Committee to be eligible to be nominated at the New Board Meeting by the committee of Past Presidents or nominated from the floor at such meeting, the following requirements must be met:

(i) on or before November 1 of the year prior to the election, the Executive Vice President must receive the candidate’s written resume and a written nomination from a voting Director; and

(ii) the candidate must have personally appeared for an interview before the committee of Past Presidents at the annual convention prior toin the same year ofthe election.

(e) If there are less than 3 candidates that meet the requirements in (d)(i) above, the Past

Presidents may submit resume(s) and written nomination(s) of additional candidate(s) which must be received by the Executive Vice President on or before December 1. Such candidates shall also be eligible to be nominated at the New Board Meeting by the committee of Past Presidents or nominated from the floor at such meeting so long as such candidate(s) personally appeared for an interview before the committee of Past Presidents at the annual convention in the same year of the election.

(f) 30 days prior to the election, the Executive Vice President shall:

(i) forward to the Past Presidents the resumes and nominations referenced in (d)(i) or(e)above;

and

(ii) provide notice to the Board of Directors regarding the candidates meeting the requirements in (d)(i) or (e) above. Such notice shall contain information regarding the candidates’ names, residences (city/state), and number of years of service on the AQHA Board of Directors.

(g) The Past Presidents shall annually interview all of those candidates who meet the requirement in (d)(i) or (e)above.

(h) At the close of nominations, the President will conduct the election, either by voice vote, show of hands or secret ballot as a majority of the Board of Directors directs.

(i) In the event an individual is nominated in opposition to and is elected over a current Executive Committee member, the newly elected individual will fill the lowest Executive Committee office while current Executive Committee members, if re-elected, will graduate to the next highest Executive Committee position.

Rules of Registration Changes at Convention AQHA members and the Board of Directors also approved three registration-related items.

The first item involved adding the following statement on the front of registration certificates: “Identifying information, including genetic panel test results, is printed on reverse side of certificate.”

The second item addressed the creation of a task force to investigate the use, distribution and value of microchipping in all or just certain American Quarter Horses. The task force’s findings and/or recommendations will be presented to appropriate committees at the 2018 annual convention for consideration.

The final item involved the appointment of a task force to study the potential impact and changes to AQHA rules regarding allowing a foal to be registered in the appendix registry if the foal is the result of an appendix to appendix breeding. The task force’s findings and/or recommendations shall be presented to the AQHA Stud Book and Registration Committee at the 2018 annual convention for consideration.

What happens to the board of directors’ recommendations after convention?After convention, the board of directors’ recommendations (except changes to AQHA’s bylaws and rules of registration) then go to the AQHA Executive Committee to consider during its April meeting. The Executive Committee can approve, modify, table, deny or send a recommendation back for consideration at the next year’s convention. There are various reasons for the Executive Committee’s decisions – feasibility of implementing, programming conflicts, budget and many other reasons are taken into consideration.

After the Executive Committee meeting, the new rules and when they will become effective are announced on AQHA.com. The approved rules are also added to the following year’s AQHA Official Handbook of Rules and Regulations.

Watch the video below or click here to read more about AQHA’s rule-change process.

As a reminder, AQHA and The American Quarter Horse Journal are the official source for all Association news. Any updates or rule changes will be posted after the April Executive Committee meeting.

About the Association

The American Quarter Horse Association, located in Amarillo, Texas, is the world’s largest equine breed registry and membership organization.

AQHA members share a passion for the American Quarter Horse and the vast lifestyle created by the world’s most popular horse.

Whether you’re a seasoned horse show veteran, a fan of the race track, a backyard horse enthusiast or simply someone dreaming of someday owning a horse, AQHA membership will benefit you in countless ways.